LP Academy
by TheFourEyedTurtle
Summary: A Let's Player High School AU is here to satisfy your TRG and crew needs! More like a slice of life story, and all chaos breaks out when Masae transfers to LP Academy and inevitably meets Chuggaaconroy, NCS, Proton Jon, Superjeenius, Lucahjin, JoshJepson, and many other beloved LPers. Quite a few swears abound.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, FourEyes here. I'm personally not a huge fan of long author's notes, but since this is the first chapter of my first fanfiction, bear with me here for just a mo'.**

 **HUGE DISCLAIMER: these are supposed to be fictional characters – just taking large inspiration and leaps of imagination from real-life people. Hence, I try to never portray them uncomfortably or unrealistically (I've seen too many of those types of stories, I'm afraid). If you see me doing anything that seems inappropriate or disrespectful to the LPers, please inform me.**

 **Also, the setting is not Japan. Imagine it being in a middle of a new dimension or something. Having experienced both Asian and American schools, I tried to combine different aspects to form my own school system of a sort. I won't use senpais or anything like that, haha (Sorry, fellow Anime fans).**

 **New chapter coming probably on Saturday or Sunday.**

 **All criticism and comments will be highly appreciated. Please enjoy this attempt at writing! _**

She was feeling quite a bit nauseous.

Perhaps it was the strong scent of hyacinths along the street, but Masae was confident that the reason had to do with her lack of confidence on this beautiful day.

It was the first day of school.

The phrase sounded unnatural in her head. She had been forever used to each school "year" bleeding into each other – though MomAnela was adamant in keeping a stricter schedule, her homeschool was far more nebulous than it should have been.

Even so, she couldn't believe that her MomAnela would send her to a private school when there were only two years left until college. Her parents held long and zealous discussions about "the importance of social skills to get ready for the _real world"._ Despite her protests, MomAnela was the boss – and here she stood, in front of the gates of LP Academy, not at all ready.

She straightened her pleated skirts and fixed up her name tag anxiously. She saw a mob of students around the left outside wall of the three-story school, and shuffled along. She barely squeezed past shouting ("Which class?" "C, Jake!" "Great!" "Aw, man…") mass of people towards the front. Her eyes immediately went up to long pieces of paper attached to the framed cork boards. She skimmed through swarms of tiny, but neatly printed black lines, desperate to find her name before being smothered to death. Class A – Anela, Anela… Nope. B – Anderman and… found it. She was in Class B, up on the second floor. Relieved to finally have a destination, she spun around, narrowly avoided crashing into an upperclassman, and ran into the school.

##########

 _Maybe I should have hung around more._

Masae was thoroughly regretting coming in so early. She was worried that being late would attract attention, but now, she had to sit through 7 more minutes in silence. _Frick._ She aggressively poked with her innocent phone, while others greeted their new classmates with slaps on the back. She swallowed thickly, suddenly feeling her throat go dry.

Finally, the bell rang and a gruff man with a large stature sauntered in, scratching his hair. The students, chatting and horsing around just seconds ago, dashed to their seats. The man took up a chalk and scratched his name on the board: Mr. Sawyer.

"Nice to meet y'all. Actually, that was a lie." Mr. Sawyer yawned. "My name's," he pointed to the blackboard with his thumb, "Mr. Sawyer. I teach second-grade Literature. I see you in the morn' and noon, take roll, pass out flyers, you guys know the drill."

She didn't. Regardless, he handed out thick slabs of flyers to students that explained the dress code, school fees, and extraneous information. She shakily accepted it from the hands of the petite girl sitting in front of her, who smiled kindly when she saw Masae's deer-in-the-headlight expression.

For rest of the period, her eyes stayed focused on the paper and occasionally on the long wavy locks in front of her.

##########

"Dude, our teacher is so chill!" Masae heard one of the students exclaim as she picked up her bag.

"More like he doesn't give a fuck." The glassed boy next to him scoffed.

"My point, man. He didn't even bother to take attendance, think he forgot? I've been meaning to go to that sweet new arcade place and it's always super crowded afterschool – you think I can skip?" Masae didn't feel the necessity to mention how she saw the teacher quickly count the number of student heads as he was leaving.

"Not unless you wanna get your ass whooped by the Student Dean at the front gate. Have you seen her muscles?" The glasses shuddered. "She has more muscles than three of us combined."

"Hey, I have muscles!" The third boy who looked on with an amused expression until then cried out defiantly.

She heard the first boy mutter, "Muscles don't jiggle, man…" as they slammed the door behind them.

After most students left just as noisily, Masae finally plucked up the courage to venture home herself. She hadn't expected the school to end so early – the first period was only an hour, and she was told by her mom that school usually got out around lunch time on the first day. It was not even remotely close to noon. Was she missing something?

As if on cue, as she slid open the wooden door, she was met with a bountiful mass of curly red hair. The owner of said hair waved her hand. "Hi, you must be Masae, right?"

Masae stood speechless for a second, then slowly replied with a stammered, "Y, yeah. And you are….?" The red-haired girl was wearing a blue cardigan, meaning she was a third grader.

"I'm Reese, Reese Dressler. I'm the co-president of the school. I'm here to give you a brief tour of our club activities." They quickly shook hands. "Here, follow me to the third floor." The upperclassman linked her arm to Masae's and nearly dragged her down the hallway. While she had million questions, Masae decided to ask the most basic questions first.

"How did you know it was me?" Reese smiled and said, "Only first-graders and transfer students would wear their uniforms so perfectly clean." Masae blushed slightly and folded up the sleeves for the first time that day.

"Yo, no need to feel embarrassed! I wasn't judging or anything. The uniform looks really cute on you, girl." Masae let out a small thank you. They almost ran up the staircase and entered the third floor.

Masae felt that she was quickly losing her manliness points and decided to be more responsive.

"So, what's the club activities like here? I haven't heard too much about it." They had slowed to a walk and were approaching the first classroom on their left.

"Glad you asked. So the scho-"

"Reeeeeeesssssssseee!"

CRASH.

Masae watched in awe as a huge figure headbutted Reese's vulnerable back. Poor Reese flopped to the ground while the wrecking ball of a boy stood up, grinning from ear to ear.

Reese slowly got up, and punched the boy right in the gut.

"Fuck, Emile, I told you to wait by the Chess Club! I can fucking revoke your afterschool privileges any time I wish! Or I'm gonna rip out my goddamn almost-fractured spine and beat your shitty ass right back to preschool where you belong!" Reese looked outright murderous at the moment and Masae decided to never anger the woman.

"Sorry, I just got really bored 'cause you weren't returning for nearly fifteen minutes when you said it would only take, like, five minutes." The Emile person didn't look sorry at all.

"What, you want me to forcibly drag our precious new student up those fucking stairs? Is that what you want?" Masae almost quipped that she already had, but she definitely valued her life way more than the person in front of her.

Emile at that moment noticed Masae standing there awkwardly, watching the scene play out. He extended his hand out abruptly and said "Hi, my name is Emile. You are," He glanced at her name tag. "Masae?" Masae nodded and extended her hand, too, and nearly felt her shoulder sockets pop when Emile shook her hands enthusiastically.

Reese calmed down enough to talk at a normal decibel level. "Sorry, Masae. Anyhow, before getting interrupted by this idiot, I was explaining to you what our club system was like." Reese began to walk down the hallway and the two underclassmen took her right and left, trailing slightly behind her.

"The third floor is reserved entirely for clubs. It's listed alphabetically. We have over 40 different clubs, including sports. All second graders are required to take at least one club, while first and third graders can be exempted for studying and testing reasons. You see here, African Society, Android Web Development, etc. I saw your information sheet. You said you were interested in Art Club?" Reese suddenly stopped in front of a door.

"Yeah, I'm intending on continuing on with art-related fields later."

"Fabulous. Maybe you can join Art Club, then. I'm also a member. I'm so excited to see you draw! Uh, do you play any sports or instruments?"

"I do archery. I've been doing it seen I was nine years-old. I also sing a bit"

"Me, too!" Emile quipped in. Reese groaned.

"Don't listen to him. And I mean that literally. Don't occupy the same space-time when he starts singing."

"Wow, harsh." Masae joked.

"Not harsh enough." Reese mumbled. "Alright, then let's stop by Archery Club first. We actually have one. It's relatively small, since it's not been as popular since few years ago but it's still pretty well equipped." Reese opened the door she was standing in front of.

Masae stepped in, followed by Emile. The room was more spacious than it looked from outside. Long rather than wide, she saw five targets at different distances. She saw bows neatly organized on the two stone walls, as well as bins in front of the old blackboard divided into different arrow types. There was also a large cabinet by the left of the board, yellowed stickers with faded sharpie writing stuck to each cabinet. They seemed to store gloves and spare strings.

She only saw two people practicing, and one person sweeping the floor. Masae enjoyed the satisfying and familiar thud of the arrow hitting its target. The sweeper looked up at the sound of the door opening and greeted them.

"Hey, Reese! New recruits?" The short-haired girl asked.

"Nah, just one. Emile here is just tagging along. Masae, on the other hand, has been doing archery for nearly a decade."

The short-haired girl dropped her broom and pushed Masae toward the walls excitedly. "A veteran! Here, I know this is sudden but do you want to practice for a bit?"

Masae was surprised but not unpleasantly so. She looked at the wall and tested different bows until she found one with the right tension and length. She picked out few arrows and stood at the second-to-last target. She aimed carefully, aware of the various gazes behind her, and shot her first arrow. It hit the 7-point mark, and Masae loaded her second arrow with a better focus now. After a couple more shots, Masae began hitting bullseye more frequently.

The captain – presumably – clapped her hand together and bounced on her feet.

"Yes! After Sarah graduated last year, we were missing a varsity team member. I think you might be fit for the position. We are holding tryouts next week, so please come. We will explain more in detail when you join." Captain emphasized the word "when" as though Masae had already decided on which club to join.

"Haha, thanks but I still have a lot of clubs I haven't looked at…"

"If you're worried about space, a lot of students usually take two, or even sometimes three clubs. They have different meeting schedules so it works out at the end." Reese chimed in.

Thus, Masae talked a bit more about the club procedures with the Captain, when she noticed that Emile was gone. She swished her head back and forth, looking for a hint of the brunette's face. She spotted him at the last target, with the bow and arrows she had used just minutes before.

"Is it okay for him to try?" The Captain stopped talking and looked at Emile. "Yeah, it's fine. We hold various novice classes throughout the year. I don't think he's going to hurt himself. A slap or two on the wrist, maybe."

The three girls watched Emile struggle to put the arrow on the bow and his arms quivering with the tight string. Masae saw him making the beginner's mistake of putting his elbow toward the ground and was walking up to correct him when he released the string.

Thwack.

Bullseye.

She fricking couldn't believe it. Emile soon loaded another arrow, got into his awkward stance, and released it once again. Another bullseye.

Masae watched flabbergasted as Emile got five bullseyes in a row until he finally missed one entirely from the target. She felt someone's hand on her shoulder.

"Forgot to mention, he has some really stupid luck." Reese sighed.

##########

They finally left Archery Club (and the somehow infuriating memory of Emile's stupid luck) behind and headed to the class right next to it.

"Welcome to Art Club! Unlike Archery Club, it's not as tightly knit since we have a lot more members and most people do their own things. But we're friendly enough." Reese announced.

Masae saw easels, brushes, paint cans, and piles and piles of art supplies in different places, sometimes organized and other times not. Most were focused on their crafts, not even bothering to look up like the Archery Captain did. The room was wider and not as long; in the farthest corner she was surprised to see two computers with tablets in front of them.

"Wow, they even supply digital stuff?"

"Yep. Not the state-of-the-art ones, but decent."

Reese asked if Masae had any portfolios online. Masae went online to her art gallery and showed few of her pieces, mostly characters from different media.

Reese fawned over how clean and detailed Masae's style was ("Did you really draw all those individual feathers on the Ho-oh?") while Emile was silent, gazing at the art with intensity. Masae suddenly felt a little self-conscious and logged out. Emile let out a sound of disappointment and Masae felt a bit guilty. Maybe she could show it to him again at a later point if he was really _that_ interested.

They visited few more rooms when Masae heard a beautiful voice coming from the Choir room. The trio went inside and Masae found the girl who sat in front of her first period singing what seemed to be an original song in a sweet and soft voice. When she finished the piece, the three all clapped.

The girl bowed and said, "Thank you, thank you. I'm Adriana. Call me Adri. You guys interested in choir? I'm the Vice Captain. Our Captain's out for today."

"No, your singing was really good and I just wanted to look around. We can leave soon if yo-"

"Wait, I'm interested!" Reese suddenly looked extremely horrified at Emile's sudden exclamation. She looked ready to bolt. Masae, who would've done the same, was genuinely curious about Emile's singing. Just how bad could it be?

Adri motioned to Emile. "If you don't mind, could you sing for me a little then? Anything, really."

"Okay!" The room tensed as Emile took an extremely long breath, puffing his chest.

Then, all hell broke loose.

It wasn't ear-shattering per se – just horribly out-of-tune. Masae decided to put ear plugs on the birthday gift list this year. Unable to bear anymore, she slapped her hand to Emile's mouth.

"-I knoooow yo- Oomph."

"Okay, I think that's good enough. Sorry for bothering you, Adri. I'll see you tomorrow in class?"

Adri just nodded, smiling but looking like she really needed to lie down for a long, three hour nap. Masae felt Emile struggling against her hand, but kept it firmly in place by wrapping her other arm around the neck until they were out of the door.

"-PAH! That wasn't necessary, Masae!"

"It definitely was. I don't want you go around killing my new classmate!" Masae said. "Why are you looking for clubs anyway? You're a junior." She pointed at his dark green cardigan.

Emile made the 'I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about'™ face, pouting and looking away from her.

"It's a long story, Masae. I'll explain in to you more on the way." Reese replied in his stead.

She could feel that it was going to be a long day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, peeps. So… 'Next Saturday' apparently meant a month later. I swear I won't be this horrible with updates from now on. The updates will be more frequent and consistent.**

 **Thank you for those who read the first chapter. Thank you so much for Okerina, my first follower!**

 **DISCLAIMER: Of course, I do not own any of the characters, franchises, and/or references. Please be aware that the characters are merely borrowing from its real-life counterparts, and do not reflect the LPers' in reality. Enjoy!**

* * *

She wiped the remnant of cool, fragrant tea off of her mouth. The grimy window colored the sun rays that passed through it. She could see a row of red-faced boys struggling to battle the heat rising from the sand of the front ground. Despite the blazing AC and the cold can in her hand, Masae lazily fanned herself while watching the other two down their drinks. Reese, Emile, and Masae had stopped by the vending machine to quell their tired bodies and minds. Sipping a can of iced coffee by the window of the staircase, Reese explained the reason behind Emile's lack of a club membership.

"He's a professional school vandal."

"…What?"

"He has so far, I kid you not, destroyed about three-thousand dollars-worth of school equipment."

She then explained how Emile "accidentally" slammed down a desktop screen while desperately claiming that he was just really used to laptops. He also managed to crack an entire flat screen TV in half via his shriek (Masae later found out that it was actually just a Smash tournament gone wrong; The Wiimote imbedded itself right on Kirby's smiling face. However, he did scream afterwards) at the Gaming Club. Added to the list was a barrage of broken desks and ceiling panels that got him kicked out of every single club he belonged to. The only clubs that would accept him at this point were sports clubs, or like Choir, a body-exclusive activities club.

"I'm almost impressed at this point, really," Masae sighed out. She jokingly searched for peeled paint or a dent on the vending machine, expecting every single thing to have Emile's imprint by now.

"He eventually joined the Board Games Club at the end of last year following his friend Stephen. But, unfortunately, his luck kicked in and he got kicked out by a bunch of salty seniors."

"And _that's_ why I'm touring with you. Born in a world of strife, against the odds, I choose to fight!"

"I feel like your words physically hurt me." Masae deadpanned.

"You know, I liked that. Better write it down to not forget about it." Suddenly, Emile whipped out a small red notebook from who-knows-where and began writing down his own quote from just moments ago. Masae looked on incredulously, puzzled by the rather egotistical behavior that Emile was exhibiting. He didn't strike her as narcissistic enough to keep a record of his _personal words_.

"Let's get moving, guys. We only have a while before school gets out." With that, they tossed their crushed cans with a refreshing clang into the trashcan to climb back up to the third floor.

#####

They passed by most classes this time, not wanting to disturb the engrossed students in whatever they were doing or were just plain not interested. They dragged Emile by the collar from the Gaming Club's small window ( _"But they're playing Mario Kart! Double Dash! Like, right now!)._ While Masae dragged still disappointed Emile along the hallway, Reese ran up to a room towards the end of the hallway. She beckoned them with a wave. Masae saw Reese go into the classroom jovially, shouting, 'Hey guys, what's flying?' With Emile back on his feet, they went into the room labeled with thick black letters, 'Rock Band Club'.

It smelt of vintage worn leather, the first step into the dingy room; She soon sniffed what seemed to be slightly stale coffee, which, while not good, wasn't entirely unpleasant either. The floor was strewn with paper cups. She passed by a pile of tangled wooden desks and cautiously entered the unknown realm. Reese chatted with a guy cleaning his guitar – though, seeing as she hit him in the head, it was more of a bickering than actual talking. Emile swooshed past her and high-fived a bearded senior sitting behind a set of drums.

Masae stood by a knocked over mike stand for a few minutes, unsure of what to do. No one else was in the room, though she could see a few chairs bereft of its owners. She finally went to Reese, hoping to listen into whatever conversation they were having just to escape the awkwardness.

"-and we still have the forms to process but you haven't even touched the stack, Jon. I know you've been busy but come on!" "Jon", the one with the beanie, noticed Masae first. He raised his hand. "Hey, my name's Jon. Heard Reese here was bothering you."

"I'm _not_ bothering her. Unlike _someone,_ I'm actually being a responsible co-president. Oh dear lord. It's no use talking to you. How are we friends again?"

"Simpson quotes."

"God diddly dang it. That show stopped being funny around Season 13. Anyhow, Masae, Jon. Jon, Masae." Masae smiled slightly at the upperclassman in front of her.

"Look, Masae. Don't faint when I say this, but Jon here…Well…" Reese took a dramatic breath. Masae gulped, unused to seeing Reese being so serious.

"He's the other co-president of our school." Masae blinked and Jon smirked from his seat.

"No need to scare the transfer student. Alright, I'll come to the Student Council with you to actually do work. Tim!" Jon called out to the drummer, "I'll be at Student Council so I'll check by in an hour or so, okay?" Tim let out a soft 'alright' and nodded. Jon packed up his guitar and fixed his beanie. The ever-growing crowd of four left the coffee and the leather (and Tim) behind into the hallway.

"Masae, are there other places you'd like to see? There aren't many more left, unless Zumba Club interests you." Masae shook her head.

"Okay, then follow me to the SC. I'll help you fill out the applications." The four walked into the room right next to Rock Band Club.

"Here, sit." Starkly different from its neighbor, the room had its clean windows open wide. The white curtains rippled from the hot wind. Masae breathed in the scent of the freshhner while sitting down at the large rectangular table in the middle of the room.

Jon slouched into the desk by the blackboard and frowned. He reluctantly reached into a huge pile of paper and started scribbling. Reese, on the other hand, hummed while pulling out two sheets of paper from a drawer by her desk. She set down a sheet in front of Masae.

"There you go. Write down your wanted clubs, up to three. Sign your name and give it back to me." Reese then dangled the other sheet of paper in front of Emile's face.

"You better behave this time, or I'm putting you into study hall, I swear." Emile held up both hands in defeat and took the sheet from her. Masae finished writing down her choices (1. Art Club 2. Archery – she had known from the start) while Emile looked to be deep in thought.

Reese accepted Masae's form happily and put it on Jon's barely reduced pile. He banged his head against his desk. Emile sheepishly wrote down something on the paper. Reese snatched it away before he could sign it.

"I said no Gaming Club! You're still banned, remember?" Emile scowled and scratched away his previous choice. Masae looked over to see what he had written.

"Hey! No choir, either!" Emile grunted in frustration. "What do you guys want me to do then?"

"You know, you could just have him make his own Destruction-and-Pun Club."

"Jon!"

"What?"

"Don't put ideas into his head!" Emile smiled brightly.

"Wait, I can make a club?" Reese ground out in small, annoyed voice,

"Yes, _technically,_ you can send in a club application once you are in second grade. But, I note, most get rejected due to their inappropriate causes."

"Actually, about 90% of them get accep-"

"Jon. Shut. The. Fuck. Up." Jon clamped his mouth and went back to scribbling.

"Oh, dear co-president. Would you be kind enough to give me a club application?" Reese held the most pissed-off face in the world and got a piece of another paper from the drawer and slammed it down on the metal table. Masae felt the steel ringing beneath her fingers and up her spine. Emile happily picked up the pen to fill in the application.

Hours seemed to pass, the room filled with scratches of pens from the two boys and occasional tap of Reese's shoes in impatience. Finally, Emile finished with a flourish of his pen and handed the application to Reese.

"'Creative Endeavor Club'? What kind of vague name is that? 'Aiming to broaden students' interest in creative arts, including writing, art, music, and even video-making. Anyone may join.' That's even more vague. I do not approve of this."

"Reese! I promise I won't cause trouble. I'll even bring in my own equipment."

"For what, though? Also, you forgot to fill out the member slot. You need at least three more members for each of the officer positions: Vice president, treasurer, and communications officer."

"If I can fill out the member slots, will you let me form the club?"

"No."

"Reese, let him go. This is probably the best for everyone. At least this way, nothing will get damaged." Reese rolled her eyes and handed the form back to Emile. Now it was his turn to snatch it away and write down the names of the members. Reese took the form and put in on Jon's pile. He took it immediately, curious to know whom Emile had chosen with such confidence.

"HEY, why'd you put me down for treasurer?" Jon burst from his seat. Emile grinned innocently. Reese and Masae burst out laughing.

"Oh, you shouldn't be laughing Masae. You're the VP."

"WHAT?" Masae dropped her grin immediately and ran to Jon's desk. Indeed seeing her name written in horrible cursive, she shouted, "EMILE!"

"I'm not approving this. Rejected immediately!" Then, with a devilish grin, Reese took the application from Jon's tight grip.

"Oh ho, no no. To follow the wise advice of our honorable co-president, I shall to what is 'probably the best for everyone'." Reese stamped the paper with her seal of approval. "President Emile, good luck with your club and your eager members." She shook Emile's hand in mockery.

"This is what you guys get for trying to convince me."

"Hey, that was Jon! I didn't do anything!"

"Well, it's your fault for hanging out with him."

"I just barely met him!"

"You guys already seem close enough. Good luck, Masae! I'll write down in your application for you." Masae gurgled out how she couldn't handle three clubs, much less Emile. "You guys should get going. Here, Emile, are the keys to your new club room. It's at the end of the hallway. Don't. Lose. It." Masae grabbed her head in frustration.

"Do I have to leave, also? Cause, man, while there is a lot of work, you know, as the treasurer I must perform my duties-"

"Nu uh, mister. You're finishing that stack." Reese waved goodbye to Masae, who was now being dragged by the wrist. "Have fun!"

#####

The room, unlike all the others, was extremely bare. There were two desks, a large table, and a sofa so torn out that it looked like paper-mache. Masae leaned against the wall, unable to believe that she had been roped into a con scheme on her first day of school. She looked upon exasperatedly as Emile excitedly moved around what little furniture sprinkled around the room.

"Well, Vice Pres, here's your desk." He pointed to the desk on the left side of the room, in front of the windows. She saw an identical desk on the right.

"Guessing that's yours?" Emile nodded.

"I can't belive this. So…what are we doing? 'Creative Endeavors'? So like, arts and crafts?"

"Nope. We are writing a novel."

"Um."

"Here." Emile took out his phone and typed. He handed her the phone and Masae accepted it with curiosity.

The screen showed the front page of a website, with a red sword stuck in the lush, green ground. On top was a set of chrome letters spelling out a word she couldn't recognize.

"Xenoblade…Chronicles?"

"Yep! My newest novel."

"Novel?"

"I write web novels! Have done it since I was in middle school. I go under the pen name Chugga A. Conroy. Most just shorten it to Chuggaaconroy though. Or Chugga."

"You mean, like the author of _Okami_?  The _Okami_?"

"Yep. You read it?" Masae nodded. Truth to be told, she read all of it in just three days. It was really good – and due to the sheer amount of Japanese mythical references in the novel, she expected someone more… experienced. This grinning highschooler couldn't possibly be the author.

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Masae's head.

"Oh, that's why you were writing down quotes and things."

"What, you thought I recorded my own words?"

 _Yes._ Masae just shrugged. "So… what are we doing? Or, more specifically, what am I doing? You're gonna be writing, so do I proof-read or something? Make coffee?"

"No! Your art work is amazing! I've been really meaning to expand my work beyond just writing. In order to survive in the market, I need a reconciliation of different mediums, such as music and art. I looked through the portfolio earlier and I want to recruit you as my official illustrator."

Masae was taken aback. She was grateful for the compliment but being an illustrator meant an awful lot of work and her schoolwork would probably prevent her from drawing much. Not only that, but –

"How would I get paid, though? Not that I'm just doing art for money but it will take a lot of time to finish a piece. It goes beyond just club activities. But, um, thanks for the compliment. That means a lot."

"No problem. Well, in regards to that, I was wondering if we could reach a compromise. Meet me back here tomorrow, alright? We'll keep talking."

Masae just nodded, contemplative. She brushed a hand against 'her' table. The dust stained her hand grey. She was swept away in a hurricane of events and she felt tingling of nervousness and excitement rise within her.


	3. Chapter 3

**I wasn't kidding when I said I would update more frequently. Enjoy.**

 **DISCLAIMER: The author does not own any of the characters, franchises, and/or references made within the writing. Please be aware that the characters are merely borrowing from its real-life counterparts, and are completely fictional.**

* * *

She clutched the metal tray. Yesterday, she hadn't realized that the students would be eating at a cafeteria. She also didn't realize that lunchboxes were an option and was now stuck in the crowded room while others went wherever they wished. Her eyes scanned the room frantically, trying to find a seat away from the raucous crowd.

"Masae!" Adri waved her hand from one of the tables. Grateful, Masae walked over and slid into the seat. "Did you forget your lunch like I did?"

"No, I didn't know that lunchboxes were a thing. My mom wakes up super late so I'd have to pack it anyway."

"I usually recommend something light yet filling. Like pasta. Or pasta. Or even pasta. Did I mention that I like pasta?" Masae laughed and shook her head.

"How did scouting go yesterday? Decide on the clubs?" Masae nodded while slurping the noodles.

"To no one's surprise, I went with art and archery."

"What are you, a pirate? What about the other dude? He didn't sign up for choir, did he?" Adri tensed with fear. Masae slowly shook her head in determination. The two clapped their hands together and shook it vigorously, the moment marking the blooming friendship over Emile's lack of singing talent.

"Talking about Emile, I think I may have been conned into a slave contract." Adri choked slightly on her sandwich. A lettuce dangled from her mouth. Masae explained the concept of 'Creative Endeavor Club' and the sketchy craft trade behind it.

"He can't be the author of **the** _Okami!_ Granted, it wasn't incredibly famous but it had quite a dedicated fan base for it. I imagined the author to be, I guess, more like a half-bald grandpa stroking his wispy white beard while writing with his calligraphy brush."

"I don't think grandparents would write web novels. But your point stands. Must have taken him a lot of research."

"That aside – are you going to take it? The job, I mean." Masae pursed her lips in contemplation. Truth to be told, she had pondered for nearly an hour last night. In the end, she fell asleep with a frustrated 'hrumph' and decided to meet with Emile before making a resolution.

For now, she just shrugged.

#####

The rest of lunch went along with jovially. Classes weren't that different from the online lectures she took. Last period – History – drawled on. She absentmindedly tapped the table with her index finger as if clicking the fast-forward button.

The bell rang, and Masae was the first to exit the door this time. She followed the steady stream of other second-grade students going upstairs. She scuttled along the hallway until the line thinned towards the end, until she was the only one passing Student Council (She vaguely heard Reese shout "Oh no, not again, my tortilla boobs!". She really hoped her ears had made a miscalculation somewhere) and reached the last room. It still lacked a label, and she wondered if Emile would bother to put it up anytime soon. She carefully dragged the door.

"Masae! Perfect timing. I just finished setting this up. Thank god our Math teacher let us out early. I couldn't finish it all in the morning." Immediately, her eyes fell on the brunette leaning behind a set of black monitors. Electric wires snaked around the two desks, neatly color-coded with post-its.

She walked around the new set-up and stood beside Emile. He had put up two large screens, the pair at a slight angle to each other. A wireless mouse set neatly beside the keyboard, on a piece of blue mouse pad. Amazingly, yesterday's crummy chair had been replaced by a red-and-black manager's seat. It looked incredibly plush. Emile had even put a corked glass jar filled with Skittles as a welcoming gift. Masae felt a little tug in her heart saying that she would love to work in this space. Finally, her eyes went over to the farthest right. She had to be dreaming -

"Ta-dah! This was what I was talking about as payment. I'm not an artist, but I think it's one of the better models."

Wacom Cintiq 24HD Touch. She had never seen it in person. She just stood there, unblinking. Her ultimate dream just lay there beautifully. What does one do? Faint. Fainting seemed like a good option.

"Masae?" Emile shook his arm in front of Masae's eyes worriedly.

"Um, I, wah, uh, what? Emile, this is really amazing and sweet but I can't accept this! It's too much! If the money thing bothered you that much, uh, you really didn't have to do so much for me. I mean, thank you so much, but like, this, wow, it's just, really, um, generous. Wow."

Emile patted her back. "No! This is nothing compared to many other artists' commissions. You deserve more but I thought this may be easier on ya. This way, you don't have to worry about getting your own equipment all the way here. I know you'll do an amazing job. Before I drag you into all this though, have you thought about my offer?" Masae nodded, still shellshocked.

She bit her lips. Cintiq beckoned her seductively (as much as an object could), but she cooled her head enough to think critiqally (Critically, Masae. Critically). Could she really handle the burden of such a time-consuming job? At the same time, with the equipment and everything else ready by Emile's generous care, she could draw comfortably. It was a way to build a nice portfolio, too. But with art club already and archery added to the mix, she couldn't afford such time, could she?

"Grrr, I've thought about this long enough. I'm just gonna go with my gut. Yeah, I'll do it. I'll be your official illustrator."

Emile hugged her and laughed. "Awesome! Thank you so much, Masae!" "Gettaofme! You're suffocating me down here!" Emile let her go, but still grinned. Masae straightened her uniform when the door slammed open. Her eyes widened when a giant sauntered in and grabbed Emile's shoulders with force.

"Emile! What have you done? Do you know how mad Alex and Dan are? I promised them that I would dedicate my full time to the club and you signed me up for some wacky 'Crummy Enterprise' or some shpeal! I get some weird-ass notification this morning and the co-presidents won't budge to sign me out of it!" Emile was violently shaken back and forth by the lanky second year. He finally calmed when Masae gently put her hand on the arm.

"Uh, hi. I'm Masae. I'm sure you have your reason of wanting to kill Emile, but what's your name?"

"Hey, sorry. I'm guessing you probably got caught up in one of his weird plans. Name's Stephen Georg. I'm in class A with this dork." Masae realized that this was the unfortunate friend that Reese had talked about yesterday.

"I'm guessing you're our communications officer?"

"Yes, for now. By tomorrow, though, definitely not."

"Come on, Stephen. I'm just repaying the debt from last year by introducing you to one of my clubs."

"Stop spouting nonsense and get someone else to fill my spot!"

"Can't happen. We don't have any more members. Just you, Masae, Jon, and me, buddy." Masae heard Stephen mutter something close to 'piss' and slumped onto the paper-mache couch in front of the cracked blackboard. Dust swirled up and Stephen coughed.

"What are you doing? I thought you were busy launching your new novel."

"Exactly that. Masae here is my illustrator. I was hoping to hire you to be the video content creator."

"I already created the logo. Why do you need a video?"

"I was hoping for a short trailer. Nothing too fancy. Maybe a minute long? That will be the last thing you'll need to do for a while. You don't have to come unless you want to." Stephen thought for a while.

"Fine. Just next time, at least ask before putting me in this club. I'll make some graphics but I'm going to need some illustrations. Masae?" Masae perked up.

"Sorry for both Emile and I but I think I might need maybe one or two wide shots and individual character drawings as soon as possible. How long do you think that might take?" Sensing that the conversation would take longer than just a chat, Masae motioned them to sit down at the large table. She then brought over her jar full of Skittles and sat down for a meeting.

#####

"So, I'm thinking along the lines of steam punk plus futuristic design for the weapons; and ECK- that's really sour." Emile scrunched his nose. Masae merely shrugged while popping two skittles at a time into her mouth. Stephen sucked on his, having a liking to strong tastes.

"You said that this is a universe where the heroes used swords despite having advanced artillery. In order to convey the blades' effectiveness, they would need to look sleek and mechanized. Monado is a great example of that." Deep in their discussion, the crowd was startled from their chat when the door slid open once again.

"Jon!" "Hey, Jon." "What's up?"

"Hey, guys. Just checking in as the responsible treasurer I ought to be."

"Bullcrap."

"Okay, yes. Just telling you that the bell rang and Reese and I are checking all the rooms. Talking about which, she told me to remind you to turn in the keys. Forgot it yesterday due to the fiasco."

"Alright. Jon, could you come in tomorrow? I've got a few things to discuss with you about a website I'm building." Jon waved his hand. "Sure, if I can ditch SC tomorrow. Tomorrow's the freshman club scouting so I'll sneak out while Reese helps the nose-wiping babies along." He left.

"Despite what he says, he's a really competent co-pres. He just makes too much work for himself, 's all." Emile added. Masae nodded in acknowledgment. Stephen stretched his arms and yawned.

"I'll also be away at Art Club tomorrow. It's a mandatory weekly attendance, so might as well. But I'll be here for the last two days. Archery audition is next week. I'll bring in some preliminary sketches on Thursday," Masae said.

"I won't be here either. I'll be back on Friday after I train all the freshmen."

"Sounds good. Hopefully we'll get some new members tomorrow." Masae and Stephen both hosted doubtful expressions.

"I swear, we'll have this room filled with people by end of the month."

The trio looked around room: the aged sun rays signified the beginning of another evening as they streaked across the tattered couch and bare table. They had a long way to go.


	4. Chapter 4

**Haha, regular updates? Nope. I suck at keeping promises. I decided that regular updates would be impossible for the time being. For the next five months, it's going to be irregular updates. Hopefully, by end of February, I'll know where my future lies.**

 **Also, thank you guys so much for reading, favorite-ing, and commenting. I appreciate every single feedback and view. Enjoy.**

 **DISCLAIMER: The author does not own any of the characters, franchises, and/or references made within the writing. Please be aware that the characters are merely borrowing from its real-life counterparts, and are completely fictional.**

* * *

"All we require is a completed piece by end of the month. They can be painted, sculpted, sprayed, lit, whatever. As long as it's visual, we accept. No one has the right to judge whether your art is art. At the same time, this goes without saying, but nothing explicit. We gotta showcase these at the end of the year and nothing porny is allowed at the exhibit. Just check in weekly with one of the officers. No last-minute sketching, guys. Put your back into this. Dismissed. Freshmen can keep on touring." The freckled senior shooed them away.

Masae got up from her stool and walked over to charcoal croquis lining the wall. Rough, jagged brought soft, curved smile to her face. She preferred digital art but the feel of a scribe in her hand was a pleasure she would not deny. Someone tapped her on the shoulder and she turned around.

"Masae, welcome. Heard from Jon that you were busy dealing with Emile yesterday."

"It went better than I thought. Are you an officer, Reese?" Masae asked the red-hair, having noticed her waving among the group of seniors during the orientation.

"Nah. Just a veteran member. I couldn't handle another position right now. I'm way too busy with Student Council. I just draw gay space rocks all day!" Reese cackled. She didn't (dare) question the last part. Masae noticed that almost all students had left the room.

"Is the room closing soon?"

"Oh, yeah. Today's the orientation day so only few officers are staying behind. You're free to leave, since I don't think you want to hear the same speech four times. I also need to go direct the hallway for any lost children with Jon." Masae suddenly thought of Jon's declaration to ditch his job yesterday and wisely decided to stay silent. She left the room and waved as Reese melted into the crowd. She zoned out for a minute, lost in wandering thoughts. Her ears echoed with mindless chatter swirling around her.

 _Might as well._

Her shoes clicked towards the familiar door.

#####

When she arrived at her club room, she expected Emile to be quietly writing at his station, or perhaps finishing setting up even more equipment. However, her eardrums were battered by three booming voices.

"Cool! So we do nothing?"

"Listen to him, you fucking idiot. We'll be doing some type of marketing shit."

"You're hurting my tender feelings, Josh."

Masae saw two round faces of freshmen lounging on the couch. Emile sat on the table with his legs crossed.

"Hey, Masae! What a pleasant surprise - thought you weren't coming today."

"Same. Art Club let out early."

"Whoa, Emile, who's the hot upperclass lady?" Though she knew the blond boy was merely jesting, Masae blushed slightly.

"Are you guys new members?" Regaining her composure, Masae directed her question at the two.

"Yup. I'm Tyler Sedarwall." "Josh Jepson."

"Like _The Jet-_ " Josh held up his hand to stop her.

"Nope. Not like the crappy, low-production cartoon. The pres here already sang the song, thank you very much. Spare me the pain."

"Sorry to hear that," Masae replied sincerely.

"Yeah, same here." Josh grimly smiled.

"We wondered in here by accident. We weren't really feeling the otherclubs so Josh agreed-"

"You mean dragged,"

"-to just tour the school and found Emile here opening up this room."

"I already explained the situation to them. They made a solemn oath to not reveal my identity to the school. Not that many people would believe it," Emile explained. The two youngsters looked enthusiastic, though Masae was skeptical whether this strange duo could keep a secret. Trusting Emile's decision, she didn't linger on the thought too much.

"Well, there isn't really much to do right now, is there? I'm going to be drawing, but what can our new members do in the mean time?"

"Turns out, these two have some pretty good video editing experience. I'm hoping they can do marketing once Stephen is busy. I can't make either of them the communications officers since they're freshmen but they can still definitely work." Emile pointed to his desk, now occupied by three screens and shelves.

"Do you have Adobe Premier? I mostly use that."

"Yeah. Let's go over there and I'll show ya."

While the three boys huddled around Emile's desk, the door opened once again. _A lot of visitors today,_ Masae mused. To her surprise, it was Tim, the quiet senior from Band.

"Hey, guys. Jon, uh, just told me to tell you guys that he was caught by Reese so he can't come in today." Tim awkwardly stood at the spot for a bit, and then turned around to leave ("Alright, y'all. See ya") when Emile shouted, "Wait, Tim!"

"Hm?"

"Could I talk to you for a bit?"

"Uh, yeah. But, I mean, if you want to talk to Jon, I probably won't see him today either so… you can talk to him later, right? Or Twitter?"

"No, it's not about Jon. I want to talk to _you_ about something. A job, really." Emile grabbed Tim by the shoulder and pushed him towards the couch.

 _Oh boy. Another member incoming._

"So, you are, like, the most musically talented person I've seen in this school. Your music is pretty fantastic, man. Right now, I've been doing this project where I…"

And Emile repeated the same information for god-knows-how-many times, ending with "…and so, would you like to be our official composer?" and everything became silent. All pairs of eyes, even the two that had stared at computer screens moments ago, stared at Tim with curiosity.

Tim, on the other hand, sported a blank look, seemingly lost. After a lifetime of waiting, he finally opened his mouth to speak and everyone tensed with anticipation.

Buuuuuurrrrrrrrrp.

A solid fifteen seconds passed without anyone moving a muscle. Then, the entire room burst into laughter. Josh slapped Tyler's back and the desk, while Tyler and Masae grabbed their stomach and nearly rolled on the ground. Emile struggled to breathe, eyes glistening with tears. Even Tim joined in, his low laughter mixing with everyone else's.

Finally, the ruckus settled down after a few coughs and wheezes.

"I did not expect to laugh that hard."

"God, I love you Tim. That was amazing."

Tim just rubbed his beard while smiling. Soon, he replied with confidence,

"Yeah, I think I can manage. It's not like I had a huge project in Band."

"Thanks so much, Tim!" Emile truly had a knack for hugging people in surprise.

"Um, I gotta go now, but gimme some details later, man."

"Sure thing!" Tim left with a resounding clack of the door.

After the group appreciated the silence for a bit, they all went back to their tasks – Emile explaining the program to the freshmen while Masae loaded up some of her sketches.

Almost an hour passed, and Masae's forehead increasingly crinkled as she tried to redraw Shulk's hair for the millionth time. What kind of hair style was blond and shaggy yet still nerdy?

Masae put her stylus back on the tablet and attempted again. Suddenly, a noise startled her and her line went straight through Shulk's nose. She pressed the undo button with a sigh.

She looked up to find Reese dragging Jon by his ear furiously.

"Seriously! Put him on a dog leash or something!"

"Getting kinky, are we?" Emile joked. A glare and a half-growl shut him up.

"You do a dang dandy job of leading him on. He's skirting his duties as he is. Don't encourage him. Anyway, return him when you're done. I'll charge late fees." Reese then let go of Jon and slammed out.

"Wow, Jon. You're usually the one who needs to reign in Reese. Not the other way around."

"Yeah, yeah. But it's the beginning of the year and Senioritis has hit me hard. I'm sure we'll be back to me grumbling while she creates some kind of weird mess around the school soon enough. She's just excited that she became the co-pres this term." Jon massaged his temples. He then noticed the two freshmen who looked like they swallowed tarantula down their throat.

"Ah, freshies. Look, don't worry, guys, she's not as intimidating as she looks. Well, that depends actually. Nevermind." He just shook his head and chuckled. Josh and Tyler just darted their shocked pupils back and forth between the three upperclassmen.

"Talk to me. What'dyou need?"

"A well-designed website with a large server capacity."

"Gee, why, Emile, I had just the one ready for you. What a coincidence. Let me just, you know, tap your computer with my magic wand of instant gratification."

"Okay, seriously, though. Listen," Expecting the discussion to go on for a while, Masae walked over to her station and packed up her supplies. Jon was already running his hand through his messy hair. Huh. Maybe she could base Shulk's hair off of Jon a bit.

"Why the fuck would you need to accommodate that much traffic? That's at least $500 per month, plus the initial server cost! Are you out of your mind?" She saw Josh and Tyler slinging their backpacks, ready to abandon the scene. Masae said goodbyes, watching the two sneak out without alerting the two boys in heated discussion. She poured last few skittles into her hand. She then poked Emile's shoulder.

"I'll take my leave then. You guys sort this out."

"Don't leave us, Masae!"

"I'm not listening to you explain Xenoblade one more time. Really love the story, but three times is my daily limit. See ya tomorrow." Emile hung off Masae's wrist but she glared at him for a moment and he let go looking sad. As Masae grabbed the door, he asked,

"What's your favorite candy? I'll have it ready for tomorrow." Masae loosened her semi-glare.

"Um…Sour Patch Kids."

"Wow, you really like sour things. Sour Patch Kids, it is."

"You don't have to, Emile. You've already done a lot for me."

"Anything for my favorite illustrator."

"I'm your only illustrator."

"Your point?"

Masae just laughed and saluted the two properly. She walked down the empty hallway, leaving murmurs of Emile and Jon behind her.

Despite the chaos every day, she admittedly found the club a fun and a comfortable place to be. As she chewed on a grape Skittles, she looked forward to another zinging, yet ultimately sweet day ahead.


	5. Chapter 5

**Now, now. I know that this is a really, really late update and my streak of 'consistent updates' was…well, one. I'm not going to promise this time any consistent updates due to life happenings, but my busyness is likely going to go down significantly after March (and some after January). So, with more time on my hands, there will** _ **likely**_ **be more updates than, ya know, one chapter per four months.**

 **So thanks for bearing with me and enjoy.**

 **Special thanks to MidnightSilence23 and ExcalAura4D for very thoughtful and motivating comments that led me to finally finish this chapter!**

* * *

The sun shone bright. Winds tickled their skins. But most importantly, it was Friday. Blissful – **beautiful** – weekend ahead of the crew.

And Jon was about to punch someone in the face.

"I told you, she was gonna do something out of her mind soon enough! God damn it, that woman. What the fuck do I do with fifty fucking gavels?"

"To be fair, she meant to type in five," Emile timidly chimed in.

"That's even worse! Why does Student Council ever need FIVE gavels? I only mildly suggested that it might be kinda fun to have a **single** symbolic gavel and she fucking tried to order five?" Jon threw his beanie to the ground. "It's coming out of the council budget! Do you know how expensive gavels are? Fifteen fucking dollars each!"

"Canadian or American…?"

"Don't even fucking start with me, Emile. I swear I will snap your neck."

Masae blocked Emile's mouth (once again) and tried to mitigate the situation to the best of her abilities. "Can't you just return them? I mean, it's Amazon, right?"

"Oh, no. The seller, apparently, with some amazing luck, DIED. Yes, it really happened. I just received an actual email from Amazon saying that he died. DEAD. How does someone die after selling fifty gavels?"

Masae just clamped her mouth and looked away.

"I'm leaving. I already told her that if she doesn't have those gone by end of the day with our money back, she's doing cleaning for the rest of the year." Jon was stomping towards the door when Josh and Tyler walked in, chatting excitedly. He just angrily nodded to their presence and was about to snap past them when he noticed long objects in their hands.

"Why…Exactly…Do. You. Guys. Both. Have. Gavels?"

"Oh, dude. These were totally a deal! Twenty bucks a piece. Apparently, it's like a ticket for a date with the co-presidents. I've got some great ideas for unicorns as our school mascot that I'm gonna suggest. Also, I heard our co-prezes are super-hot. You should get them now. They're almost sold out!" Tyler explained. Josh, with a little more tact, gave a fuller explanation.

"Uh, the red-haired senior was selling them by the main entrance. I think she's still there."

Jon just glared at them and rushed out. Masae and Emile heard him roar "REEEEESE!" as he ran down the hallway.

"So…Great timing, guys!" Emile added.

"Who was that? I mean, I know it's uh, John? Jon? But why is he so mad?"

"He's your 'super-hot' co-prez." Masae grinned.

"That's what they were talking about yesterday? Like, the 'school' co-presidents?"

"Oh, fuck me sideways." The two freshmen looked drained of their young freshmen blood.

"Hide your gavels, my friends. Hide your gavels." The door opened again to reveal the tall and lanky communications officer.

"Heya, Stephen." Josh turned around after hearing Emile's salutation.

"Oh, hey! Stephen!"

"Hello, Josh. Fancy seeing you here."

"You guys know each other?" Josh and Stephen nodded while high-fiving each other.

"Yep, I went into the Board Game Club accidentally yesterday while searching for the bathroom. These guys were pretty cool so I dropped by this morning to sign-up."

"So that's why you took so long yesterday! I thought you were pooping. I feel really betrayed now."

"No, Tyler, I was not POOPING, thank you very much." Josh ignored Tyler's whining and turned to talk to Stephen again. "Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be at BGC?"

Stephen suddenly became flustered and mumbled very quietly.

"What?" The entire room asked.

"…I said, I lost all games to a freshman."

Josh started cracking up.

"Oh man, it's her, isn't it? She's totally whooping yo ass!"

"She is not! It's just beginner's luck and all that!"

"I mean, you lost all rounds of Pathfinder to – what was her name, Mallory? – yesterday. I can't believe this!" Josh just kept laughing.

"Alex and Dan kicked me out for 'having mastered nothing during an entire year'." Stephen buried his face in his large hands. "Today was Settlers of Catan." Josh seized corpsing enough to pat Stephen on his shoulder.

"You still have Magic the Gathering, Stephen. Don't lose hope, my friend." Stephen started to fake-cry. Josh led Stephen away towards the door. "I'll be right back; I need to reinstate him as an honorable member."

"So much drama today," Masae muttered. Despite Emile's declaration of not causing a racket, the club had grown to be the most energetic room in the entire school, attracting all genders, grades, and groups.

Finally the room enjoyed some peace and quiet, and Masae took out character designs to discuss with Emile. Tyler laid on the couch, checking his phone while chewing on a Twizzler.

The two second-years were deep in their conversation, ("I think Reyn should be more, uh, buff." "More?" "Imagine…Dwayne Johnson, except English.") during which Masae took notes with zeal while Emile used all sorts gestures to describe the minute details of his characters.

Near the end of the school day, Josh returned with revitalized Stephen.

"Well, well. Look who's turned a new leaf. So, what happened?" Emile asked with genuine curiosity.

Stephen triumphantly announced, "Well, we didn't really want to intrude while they were playing a round, so we decided that we would compete this weekend in something far more advanced, requiring skills honed over the years through constant training and care, something a mere freshie can't overcome…the mini-golf! We're going over to Captain Hooks' on Saturday."

Masae stared at him incredulously and then smirked. "So, ah… you asked her out on a date?"

"Wai- Wha, What? No! Why-? What? No way-? I didn't-? What?"

"Ooh, looks like Stephen here has taken an interest in the freshman!" Tyler jumped up from the couch and approached the group, now completely intrigued by the turn of the conversation. Stephen blushed and his eyes widened to two huge saucers.

"Are you planning for, you know, 'intimate lessons' in mini-golf? You did say you excel at mini-golf, didn't you? I guess you are taking advantage of the opportunity," He teased.

"Wha- Guys! Seriously, it's a competitive game to make sure I don't embarrass myself in front of my club. Stop jumping to conclusions."

"I mean, there are far simpler ways to 'compete', you know."

"I just, I wasn't thinking about those things when I asked her, you know!"

"Ah, so you just did it out of instinct, eh? Sly, man, sly." Stephen blushed tenfold, just opening and closing his mouth like a dumbfounded goldfish.

"Come on, Josh, back me up here!"

"I'm sorry, man, but now that they mention it, it does sound like you asked her out." Stephen grabbed at his hair out of frustration and embarrassment.

"Fine. To prove that I didn't 'ask her out', you guys are coming with-"

At that moment, the door opened, revealing an angered Jon shoving Reese, who stumbled in sheepishly with a box full of wooden gavels.

"Yo, you two. Return those gavels NOW." Tyler and Josh obeyed wordlessly, returning the objects. Reese gave them the money back, sighing out a 'sorry for involving you in the illegal transaction of student council members on the sacred school grounds' as Jon shot her death glares.

"These are the last two, right?" Jon gritted the words out.

"Yes. I counted twice." "Good." Jon rubbed his temples and muttered, "I need a nap," and dragged his feet towards the couch. Reese put down the box with a rattle on the table.

Stephen, now a shade paler thanks to the interruption, returned to the previous conversation. "Anyhow, you guys are coming with me to the course this weekend."

Reese quipped in, curious, "What are you guys talking about?"

"Stephen, my man, here is taking a girl out on a date for the first time in his life."

Reese ignored the heated refutations of the said man and asked Masae, "Then why are you guys going with him?"

"Well, he's claiming that it's only for his honor and pride in Board Games Club and asking us to serve as witnesses."

"Sounds fun! If you guys don't mind, Jon and I will join in."

Jon shouted, "What?"

"Come on, Jon. As class presidents, you said we should attend more club events. This counts as one of the very few ones early in the year, right?"

Jon merely let out a tired groan in a semi-affirmative.

"Alright, then. That's what, one, two, three…seven people in this room?"

"Actually, count us out. Josh and I have a volunteering event." Reese looked at them with admiration, surprised that they were knocking out required volunteer hours so early in the year.

"Well, aren't you guys eager. I'll ask Alex along too, so that Mallory has at least one familiar face other than me. Meet me at Captain Hooks' around ten o'clock. We'll play golf and grab some food afterwards."

The group put thumbs-up and Stephen left.

"Jon and I should also be going to lock up all the rooms. See ya tomorrow. Make sure to have the windows closed when you leave."

"Gotcha, Cap'n." Emile saluted as Reese and Jon left. The four underclassmen cleaned up, chatting excitedly about the upcoming weekend.


End file.
